Baby Shower - More Pics

Cake from Costco - so delicious

Everyone was so generous.

Aunts Karen and Mari

Exhaustion setting in (sitting with Carrie, Mom and Aunt Judy)

Guess Who? Game

Can you guess which one is me? Which one is Baby Durham? HA!

Baby Shower

it's bright out.

Stroller / Car seat

The stroller/car seat was delivered today. YIPPEE! My first impression is that the car seat is heavy. How am I supposed to carry that with a baby boy inside it? I work out and I carry around my 20+ lb. cat, so it's not that I'm weak.  I guess I need to start weight lifting.

I also can't figure out how to open the stroller. The directions are just pictures and not helpful. I'm a visual person, but I just don't know.

What it will look like:

I can't wait until it's in working order and BD is here. 

Week 27 1/2 with Matt and Syd

Visit to "DC Cupcakes" (Georgetown Cupcakes)

For those of you who are not familiar, this is the store that is featured on

TLC: DC Cupcakes

(not my picture)

Our visit:

My coconut cupcake!

Seriously, the best cupcake I have ever inhaled tasted.

Cat vs...Toad?

Sushi touching his nose to the toad. Not sure who's playing who.

Sushi with his head in the bush (toad is in other direction at bottom of picture)

Sushi's sleepy, but still aware.

Swim like a fish

Swimming while pregnant is AWESOME. It relieves pressure from the hips, I felt weightless, and it's just so nice.

The only struggle is getting out of the pool - I felt like I weighed a TON! UGH!

I'm going to have to keep going to the Y until our neighborhood pool opens. Gotta keep a healthy pregnancy weight!

3 Baby Birds

Sylvester and Tweety

What is Sushi so interested in?

awwww little baby bird...there's three of them in there

Here's the mommy or the daddy. I don't know which.

24 weeks today

Whew! I made it to 24 weeks. Let's keep it going...

Things that are going on with me:

I've gained more weight than what the websites recommend, but I'm not worried - my doctor says everything is a-ok. I'm going to keep eating the way I have. I try to exercise when I feel up to it - I take walks and sometimes ride the stationary bike at the rec (okay I did that just once).

When I look in the mirror, sans clothes, I look like I'm carrying around a soccer ball (feels more like a basketball). You can see the whole round shape! It's weird.

I am starting to have difficulty putting my shoes/socks on.

My back is killing me...my ribs and hips hurt; but I guess that's what you get when you carry around a basketball in your belly all day.

I love feeling his little kicks and jabs. I'm definitely bonding with BD.

Now, if we could just decide on a name...well, our family seems to be stressing about that, but we are taking our time. Maybe we won't choose until we see him.

Me in my BG sweatshirt. Not comfortable.

And my tulips are blooming! 

(The daffodils were planted by the owners before me)

Kicks and Cookies

Whew! I just finished baking and decorating 2 batches of cutouts for our Easter family gathering tomorrow. You would think it would be no big deal, but I'm exhausted...

I've realized that every time I'm around food, I can feel BD kick...Like he's saying "oooo! I want some of that!" I'm sure he doesn't know I'm about to eat...

MD: "If you were that bored, I'm sure you could figure things out...he's probably got a homemade calendar in there."

Sushi Bean

I would like to dedicate this post to my pal, Sushi.

Sushi was given to me by my good friends, Dawn and Anne, when I moved from Chicago to Cleveland in 2000. He was only a couple months old and the runt of the litter (hard to believe, now). Yeah, he's an awesome Chicago cat. He's been my bud through thick and thin: illnesses, sadness when loved ones passed away, my previous marriage, divorce, moving 7 times,...


Miso, who was his best pal for about 5 years before he passed away from diabetes and other complications...

Look how cute they are all snuggled together. (I will take this moment to say that Miso was awesome. He loved everyone, he had a different meow for everything, and he would jump into my arms...He was very needy and a bit demanding. He taught Sushi how to WAKE ME UP at 3 am and to drink from the bathtub faucet. Depending on the type of faucet, Miso could turn it on himself. I'm not joking.)

He loves Matt. Here is a picture of them together.  Sushi isn't even whining, like he usually does when people try to cuddle with him...

Sushi is very excited about his new buddy who's on the way - BD. 

I think (hope) they will get along pretty well, since they are both boys. Sushi only likes females who are me. Oops. Maybe I spoiled him a bit too much. Lesson learned. 

I think Sushi knew immediately that I was pregnant. He was acting weird, sat right next to me for a few days, and grew very protective. He's over all that now. 

Sushi, I promise we will still be buds. Though I may be a bit preoccupied with the new changes. I can't wait for you to meet your new friend. 

Milestone - kicks felt from the outside

Tonight, Matt felt two kicks from BD after I ate (almost) a bag of popcorn. YIPPEE!

(this is just a pic from over the summer I like)

21 weeks. 3 days. Banana.

I am about 3 days late on posting my weekly picture. I've gotten pretty big this past week. 

Strangers can now tell I am pregnant (I assume, but no one has said anything). 

It just happened!

BD is about as big as a banana. FYI - as of last Thursday, our baby weighs 1lb. 1 oz.

BD's new ultrasound pictures - 21 weeks

Such a cutey! 

Notice a trend...even from the first group of pictures from 6 weeks ago...

Yes...relaxing, with feet up on my uterus. 

The Ultrasound Tech was great. She kept trying to get a detailed picture of the profile. It just didn't happen. BD just didn't want to move from this position. 

That's gonna be interesting in the next few months...

Cute foot.

Yes, it is a boy!!!!